DCI: New information regarding where Dayton girls were abducted

May 22, 2013

DAYTON - New information regarding the location of the abduction of two Dayton girls was released Wednesday.

Special Agent Bill Kietzman of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said that the girls were abducted on First Avenue Southwest west of Seventh Street Southwest in Dayton.

The DCI had previously reported that Kathlynn Shepard and an unnamed 12-year-old were abducted at near the intersection of First Street Northwest and First Avenue Northwest near Southeast Webster Grand Elementary School.

Kietzman said that backpacks belonging to the girls were recovered Tuesday. He did not disclose where the backpacks were found.

Authorities on the scene are not actively seeking volunteer searchers at present, but people wishing to volunteer will not be turned away, Kietzman said.

Additionally, according to Jessica Lown, communications manager for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, officials were in the process of issuing an AMBER Alert in Shepard's case when she was first reported missing Monday afternoon.

"We were in the process of getting that activated when we were notified that the abductor was located," she said Wednesday. "At that point in time, the criteria for the AMBER Alert was no longer met. Law enforcement's efforts needed to be shifted to a very localized search and rescue effort."